Mumbai BEST Bus Accident: Death Toll Jumps To 7; Driver Booked For Culpable Homicide

The driver of the bus involved in the fatal accident in Mumbai's Kurla area has been booked on charges of culpable homicide with the death toll rising to 7. The accident took place at 9.30 pm on December 9 in the SG Barve Marg in Mumbai's Kurla (West) suburb. According to the driver, the bus's brakes failed, and it hit several pedestrians and vehicles before ramming into the gates of a housing complex. The case against the bus driver has been registered under sections 105 (punishment for culpable homicide that does not amount to murder) and 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, according to the police.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced ₹5 lakh ex gratia to the next of kin of the deceased victims. He added that BEST and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will treat the injured. According to the report, four police personnel on bandobast duty were injured. The official said their condition is stable. The injured are being treated at various city hospitals, including Bhabha Hospital (Bandra East), City Hospital, Habib Hospital, Kohinoor Hospital (Kurla), Seven Hills Hospital (Marol, Andheri), and Sion Hospital.

According to the police, the bus driver lost control of the wheels as the vehicle's brakes failed. They, however, added that this claim would be ascertained by experts. According to the BEST, "as per the initial information, the driver lost control of the bus". The bus involved is a 12-metre-long electric vehicle (EV) manufactured by Hyderabad-based Olectra Greentech. It was operated by the BEST on a wet lease, an official earlier said. Shiv Sena MLA Dilip Lande said brake failure was the reason for the accident, adding that the bus driver pressed the accelerator in panic after losing control of the vehicle and rammed into 30-35 people.